US suspends visa-free travel for Chinese citizens to Northern Mariana Islands over 'birth tourism' concerns

In brief

• The US has suspended visa-free travel for Chinese citizens to the Northern Mariana Islands, a Biden-era program allowing stays of up to 14 days.
• The Department of Homeland Security cited birth tourism, espionage risks and possible unauthorized travel to Guam, home to key US bases.
• The suspension takes effect October 30 at 14:00 and covers both new applicants and already approved travelers.

Visa waiver suspended

The Department of Homeland Security has suspended a program that allowed pre-vetted Chinese citizens to travel to the Northern Mariana Islands for up to 14 days without a visa (Через «пологових туристів» США зупинили безвіз для громадян Китаю, — Fox News – in.ua). Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin signed the decision, which dates from the Biden administration (США зупинили безвіз для громадян Китаю через "пологових туристів" – Suspilne).

Reasons given

The department said the program could encourage so-called birth tourism, in which women travel to give birth to children who would acquire U.S. citizenship by birth. It also raised concerns about espionage and about travelers later moving on without authorization to the neighboring island of Guam, where major U.S. military bases are located ("Пологовий туризм": США скасували безвіз для китайців на популярні острови – korrespondent.net). The department acknowledged that birth tourism has long been a problem in the Northern Mariana Islands, but argued that visa-free travel and streamlined screening under the EVS-TAP system could lower the barriers to it.

Effective date and scope

The suspension takes effect on October 30 at 14:00. It applies to both new applicants and travelers who have already been approved, according to Fox News, which first reported the move. Lawmakers in the Republican party had warned that the program could fuel birth tourism and create national security threats before the decision.